Something So Simple, It's Complicated
by TheFirstShepherdess
Summary: First DeathNote fanfic. It's an OC story, simply putting it, it's a world where Matt, Mello and Near are a part on my take of the Wammy house. Yes, there is romance, but it's cute fluff stuff. If you like fluff and OC mayhem in a made up world, look here!
1. A Tragedy at Best

_**Sorry for this odd layout. For some reason, when I uploaded the chapters with corrections, I lost all my paragraph breaks and sections of sentences. Must be a layout issue. Please bear with me as I fix these issues... Chap 2 edited.  
**_

_**My first Death Note fanfic, so don't be too harsh! This chapter is mainly about getting to the main parts of the story, so you could consider it of a sort of prologue...kinda. Well anyways, if you can stick around for this first kind of dull chapter about an OC than just wait about a week, and the real good stuff with some Mello Jello, Near and Matty, will be coming up. I just couldn't fit it into this chapter...it's too long XD So enjoy, please, and bear with me. Hehe.**_

_Chapter 1_

_A Tragedy at Best_

_Ding Dong..._ The door bell to a simple two-story house rang as a little girl stood at the entrance, arms full with a sleeping bag and a pillow, while a mini van in the drive-way backed up into the dreary rain. She stood there, clad in a light blue, silky nightgown and tried to get the best grip of her bags. A dog's scampering and barking was heard behind the door, and the little girl heard it scrape at the door as if it was begging her to come in.

"Scooby! Down boy! Let me open the door, you silly pup!" The girl heard her best friend say happily to the pooch inside as the big red door opened up. An 8-year-old curly, brunette stood there, smiling in her pink pajamas, complete with slippers, at her friend. "Come on in Kana-chan!" she greeted her and held Scooby by the collar, struggling to fight back the massive grey Doberman puppy. It's amber eyes glowed playfully towards Kana as she walked in and patted its head.

"Silly, Scooby! I knew you'd be excited to see me," she said between giggles as her friend took her sleeping bag and pillow, letting go of Scooby, who was now tackling Kana down to the floor.

"Oh, don't mind him Kana-chan. I'll put this stuff in my bedroom, and then we can get ready for the movie! My mom got us three movies to pick from, so hurry to the kitchen and I'll meet you there so we can decide!"

"Mm'kay, Tori! I'll be right there as soon as I get Scooby off of me! Geez! He's practically as big as me and you combined! Are you sure he's a puppy?" Kana replied as she rolled over and got up, freeing herself from the Doberman's massive paws.

"Yeah! He just grows fast!" Kana heard Tori shout as she made her way back down the stairs.

Kana walked into the kitchen, where Tori's mom was making something that smelled like hot chocolate. She took a seat at the breakfast bar that jutted out of the counter and said, "Wow Mrs. Elwood! That smells good! Are we having hot chocolate tonight with our movie?"

Mrs. Elwood nodded, "Yes, Kana. I thought that on a rainy day like this, you girls would enjoy some hot chocolate." She paused. "Oh! I forgot the marshmallows! Will you go down to the basement door and just yell down to Scott that he needs to bring in the marshmallows from the car. I must have forgot them in there."

"Hai!" Kana replied as she jumped, delicately, out of her seat and skipped to the cellar door.

Just then, Tori walked in and asked, "Whatcha' up to, Kana-chan?"

"I'm getting your lazy Nii-chan, Scotty-boy, to get the marshmallows out of the car. Scotty Boy!" Kana yelled down.

As she did so, they could hear some sirens outside, but thought nothing of it and shrugged to each other. "What now?" a boy's voice replied. Noises of exploding things and crashes were heard as the door was opened.

"Your Okasa-san asked me to get you to bring in the marshmallows from the car!"

"Damn it! And stop it with your friggin' Japanese crap. I get it that you learn fancy words from your mom, but do you have to go bragging around about it?" Scott complained as he stomped up the stairs. He noticed that Kana looked a little hurt by the remark, and he winked as he said, "If you're gonna go speaking Japanese, call me your handsome brother then!" The thirteen-year-old ran to the garage door and paused as he said, "Ma! You didn't tell me it was pouring out!"

Tori laughed and looked over to a smiling Kana."We'll call him 'baka no nii-chan.' It means, 'You're an idiot brother!'"

Tori laughed at this. "So," Tori said, "which movie did you pick?"

"Ah! I haven't even seen them! Where are they?" She said as she looked around the kitchen table. "Here they are! Let's see...Ghostbusters the original, nah. Umm, Spy Kids, or The Aristocats? Tough choice, but I'll have to go with Aristocats. You know me and my love for kitties," Kana said.

"Aristocats it is!" Tori cheered. "I like that movie, too! Oh, hey! I have a present for you, Kana-chan!"

"Ooh! Really? Now I feel bad that I didn't get you anything..." Kana replied. Tori was always thinking of other people, and Kana felt like a moocher for always taking her gifts.

"Here!" Tori said after rummaging through some plastic bags. "I got you this ribbon! It's black and red, though it glows pink in the sunlight!"

"Oowaii! Arigato gozaimasu, Tori-chan! Or, thank you very much Tori!" Kana squealed as she took the gift.

"You always give things to me, so this time it's my turn!" Tori smirked and placed her hands on her hips in a triumphant manner.

Kana thought differently of this. Sure she gave Tori things, but not nearly as much as Tori gave her things. Suddenly, the garage door flung open as Scott came in soaked. He held a plastic bag in his hands, and the expression on his face was of excited shock.

"Guys! You'll never believe this! As I came out to get your precious 'mallows, Drake was walkin' his dog and he said that on his way home with his folks, there had been a huge car crash down a couple of miles! He said he'd never seen such a huge crash like that in real life, only in videogames! And! He said that the police and five ambulances were down there! It was insane, and we can even see the lights from here!" Scott explained exuberantly, waving the bag around in his excitement.

"Well then, if that's what made you take forever to get the marshmallows... I just hope nobody was injured too badly. It's not too bad outside, but with all those drunk drivers out nowadays, you just can't be too safe," Tori's mom said grimly as she took the bag from her son, who ran back downstairs to his game domain.

"Weird. Well, I'll start the movie! Mom, is the hot chocolate ready yet?" Tori questioned as she waltzed into the living room.

"Yep, it's right here girls. Enjoy!" she replied as she poured two mugs of hot chocolate, and opened the pack of mini marshmallows for them to have easy access to.

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Elwood!" Kana chimed as she happily took the mug and cupped up a handful of marshmallows, plopping them into her cup. Tori, finished with setting up the movie on the DVD player, did the same and the two girls quickly spread out the blanket on the couch and sat side-by-side as Tori pressed 'play' on the remote.

* * *

Kana awoke the next morning on the floor of Tori's room. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and looked over to see Tori sleeping soundly with a Scooby separating the two. He had come in _after_ they fell asleep, and woke them up, but neither obliged at having him there. She poked Tori right in between of her eyes and said, "Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty! The sun is up and it's already ten!"

"Ten? That's it?" Tori mumbled, groggily. She sat up after a couple seconds, and smiled to her friend. "So, whatchu' dream about? I dreamt that a could fly and that Sam from gym class was my prince!"

Kana laughed half-heartily. "My dream was kinda scary...it was about death and explosions. All I can remember is sirens, lights, and screaming..." she trailed off trying to already forget the horrible images that played in her mind.

Tori made a pouty face and said, "Well, good thing it was only dream, eh? Now, cheer up," she added, playfully punching Kana in the arm, "Let's catch some breakfast. My mom said she was making pancakes!"

"You mean buttermilks?" Kana said, laughing at their little inside joke. They both rose from the make-shift bed on the floor, waking up Scooby, and he jumped up immediately, launching himself at the door.

"Someone has to go potty," Tori giggled, and Kana laughed as they headed downstairs. Scooby's paws thlunked heavily down the wooden stairs as the girls padded softly downward. In the kitchen was Tori's parents, with grim expressions on their faces. Mrs. Elwood was finishing up a conversation on the phone, as Mr. Elwood was watching the morning news. It was about last night's crash, with all the details and pictures from that night. "What's going on?" Tori asked as her mother hung up the receiver.

"Girls, I have some terrible news. Kana, dear, you might want to sit down." Mrs. Elwood said solemnly, looking at them with eyes that read of nothing but sympathy and sadness. The two girls looked at each other with frightened expressions, and took a seat beside themselves at the table. Mr. Elwood simply turned off the television and stared at its blank screen which still hummed.

"Last night, that crash that your brother, Scott, told us about." Mrs. Elwood started. She took a seat across from the girls, next to her husband, who shook his head as if in disbelief and left the table to go upstairs. "That car crash involved three cars. One of the drivers in the accident was drunk driving. He sped through a red light and three stop signs, and hit two cars on the way, completely flipping one of them over into a ditch and the other skidded right off into a light post."

Kana and Tori, their eyes wide, stared at the woman and wondered why she would tell them this, since it had nothing to do with their eight-year-old lives. Well, technically eight, since Kana was turning eight in a few months. _Or did this crash have something to do with Tori's life?_ Kana pondered. _What if one of her relatives was in the crash and was injured or even...killed?_

Mrs. Elwood paused for just a moment, looked at both of the little girls faces, and then turned to Kana."Kana, dear... Your parents and sister were involved in the crash."

Kana's eyes widened as her heart skipped about three beats. _What? Nonsense! This can't be! How could this happen? They weren't even going to be out for long! They just dropped me off! _None of it made sense to Kana. She couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. There was no way her parents and sister could have been involved and...died.

Elwood continued, fighting back tears as Kana stared blankly at her, disbelief clear in her dark umber eyes. "They were driving back to your house when the driver hit them and they were sent flipping in the air. Your parents and sister were sent to the hospital immediately, but..." She trailed off not wanting to continue nor knowing how.

"But? But? But what! Tell me!" Kana screamed, now sitting up with her small hands slammed against the round glass table's surface. Tears were swelling up as she thought of the unimaginable.

Tori looked down, not knowing what to do or say. She couldn't believe this either. Mrs. Elwood looked at Kana, "Your mother died at the scene, and your father died later at the hospital. Your sister, Azril, was the only survivor, but she's been partially paralyzed..."

Kana gasped searching for the air that had mysteriously disappeared from her. Her head fell down as tears were released, streaming down her face and making oceans on the table. Tori started to silently cry as well. _How could this have happened? Why, why? How? I need to know...I need to know...I need to...see Azril! _Kana thought. She looked up at Mrs. Elwood, who was sitting there with tissues at hand.

"Mrs. Elwood! Please take me to the Hospital to see Azril! I need to see her! She _needs_ me!" Kana said, desperately. She wiped the tears that kept forming and Mrs. Elwood nodded.

* * *

The elevator seemed to hum up the floors for an eternity as it played its mocking music. The happy tunes meant nothing to Kana as she stood next to her friend, waiting for the stupid thing to finally get to floor six. The elevator made a _ding_ as the doors opened, much too slowly for Kana, and she shot out of the elevator to room thirty-nine A. She saw a nurse enter the room, and Kana ran past her, nearly making the nurse drop the platter she had in her hands. Kana dashed to the curtains that concealed the bed, and whipped them open as she saw her younger sister in the hospital bed. Azril seemed to be hooked up to so many machines and plugged with so many tubes and viles. It sickened Kana to see her five-year-old sister in this state.

Azril was half-asleep when the curtains were fiercely pulled back, and she saw her sister standing there, mortified. Azril perked up a bit as Kana ran to her side, panting. "Kana-nee-chan. You're here? Am I dreaming, or have I joined Ha-Ha and Chi-Chi in heaven?" Azril asked in a weary voice, her vision slowly coming back, as everything was still a blur to her little mind.

"No! No! I'm here, with you Azril! You're alive and I'm here with you in the hospital!" Kana said, nearly screaming as her desperate efforts to remain calm failed. "You survived that horrible crash and you're alive! I'm so happy you're not dead like..." her voice trailed off as she grabbed Azril's tiny hand and hugged it, trying not to think about the reality. For the truth was something her mind could not handle right now.

"Kana-chan, am I going to die like mommy and daddy?" Azril asked, with much emotion in her little voice.

"Of course not! No, never! You're going to have a _long_, happy life, with me by your side, _always_," Kana replied, tears returning. "We'll be fine. Someone will take care of us, I _know_ it. We'll be happy and you'll recover wonderfully."

"I won't walk again will I, Kana-chan? The doctor's say I'm para-parla-paranized?" Azril asked feebily.

"No, you're _paralyzed_. But, just from the waist down! It's sad and scary...I know, but you'll still live a happy life! You'll be able to do many things still!" Kana said, trying to convince Azril as well as herself that things would be alright. In fact, things would be fine. Kana could take care of herself and Azril, even with her new condition. _But, it's not like she can't read, write, or hear anymore. She just can't walk. I could take care of things just as well as mom or dad would be able to. Sure money would be a problem, but I'm positive someone could help us out a little until I'm old enough to work_, Kana thought, with new hope coursing through her veins. She knew she had a strong determination, and she wasn't the dumbest stick out there. She was actually one of the top students in her school. She'd do fine, and Azril would, too, since she's smart as well.

Tori was present the whole time, recovering herself as she witnessed this touching moment. She felt guilty in a way. Thanks to her, Kana had come over, even though they hadn't really planned it, and her parents had been out and _killed_. And now, little Azril was partially paralyzed! All this wouldn't have happened if she hadn't been so selfish about having her friend come over.

"Hey, Tori," Kana called out over her shoulder. "Please don't blame yourself for all this. I don't want you to think that this is all your fault and that because of you, my parents were killed and my sister like...this," Kana said softly, turning around to face her friend, who was now in tears. Tori lifted her sleeve to wipe away the oncoming tears and Kana hugged her. "It's not your fault. It was just dumb ol' fate screwing up my life that's all. Please don't try to hate yourself, or think that I would hate you and blame you. I don't. I can feel your guilt and pain just flowing out of you, so please, stop this sadness. All of this sorrow will turn us into a bunch of weirdos like on those shows on TV," Kana said, adding that tidbit to lighten the mood, which helped a little bit.

"You're so mature for our age, you know, Kana-chan?" Tori managed to say between tears, "That's why I admire you so much."

* * *

_Three Weeks Later_

Azril rolled her way through the huge hospital doors. Her wheelchair had been 'tricked out' as Scott put it, by herself, Kana, and Tori. The pink and blue stripes along with the ribbons made it more comfortable to her five-year-old customs. In her lap was a small white puffball of a stuffed cat. It was the one that her parents had given to her, and it was her favorite. Kana strolled behind her, handing Azril a balloon, and then proceeded to push her sister to the cab that was handicap accessible. The two were on their way to Venice, where their cousin, Julius lived. He was twenty-two, and cared deeply for the two newly orphaned girls. They were his favorite lil' cuzs' as he put it, and he was the only relative who was willing and able to take them in. Not that nobody on either of their parent's sides wouldn't take them. It's just complicated; their father's side had a horrible grudge against their family from the start, due to the fact that their beloved son had married some foreign, Japanese woman, when they wanted him to marry another Italian, or English women.

Their mother's side was out of the question since that would mean that the two girls would have to move to Japan, learn a new language completely, and start new lives over with another family. Of course, it wouldn't have been all bad. They would have had their Aunt Yuri there in Japan. She knew English and Italian fluently, and she always sent them gifts during holidays, just because she loved them, as she said. She was always very determined at having her nieces dress in a gothic-lolita style, which was popular in her part of Japan, and she sent them clothing in this style. Kana appreciated it, because thanks to her, she looked different in school, and she loved these boots particularly. They looked like shiny leather, and had a little heel. She loved heels, though her mom preferred her to wear flats.

Therefore, Julius was the only choice, naturally. He loved his two cousins, and came over frequently to their house in London. He only recently moved to Venice, where he could study art more, and he gladly offered to keep and look after them. So, that was that. Kana and Azril were to live with Julius in his new condo in Venice. They were happy about it, for they really liked their cousin, Julius. He was, well, _different_ from other guys. He always had a fun, crazy outfit on, and he always stood for what was right. He didn't really like anything but cake, and he reminded Azril of a child the way he would "persuade" people with his poubting. He never ceased to make her and Azril smile, so she thought he was perfect.

Kana and Azril spent about a year with Julius. He was a crazy individual, and helped them get over the traumatic experiences that happened many months ago... With all of Julius's jokes and fun coupled with plenty of laughter and happiness, Azril was able to overcome the fact that she was stuck in a chair, and Kana felt useful. She was also able to overcome some of her own personal struggles from the loss of her beloved parents. They both seemed to excel when it came to education. All of a sudden, things were clicking in Kana's brain that had never clicked before. She knew she was always smart, but not this smart! She was top in her class, put into fourth grade curriculum, while Azril went from kindergarten to second grade studies.

The director of the board of their school asked to speak with them and Julius about important matters regarding the girls' future. "I believe these two are very gifted children. They seem to have a natural gift to catch onto things abnormally fast.." he explained with admiration and authority.

_Abnormally? Does that mean we're deformed or something_? Kana thought as she sat in a fold up chair next to Julius.

"...and I think that these two should go to a special institute, known as the Wammy House. The Wammy House is an orphanage for gifted children, such as yourselves, and it is a very prestigious home. I believe that they would do much better at that institute rather than here. There skills would be used for the greater good and their true potentials could be accomplished."

"What? You can't just tell us where we can and cannot go! Or rather where we should be! Julius! I don't believe this guy! You agree with me, right? That Azril and I should stay here with you? We don't need to go to any special place, let alone an orphanage for smarty pants, 'abnormal,' kids!" Kana shouted, standing up in her chair, and turned towards her cousin. He was sitting in the chair sideways, with one leg over the arm of the chair and the other leg over it, crossed. He was staring at his hands, as his fingers twirled in weird formations.

"Julius, what do you think?" Azril asked calmly from her spot on the right of Julius in her wheelchair.

"I honestly believe, that with the help of my good friends, Watari and Roger, these two will succeed beyond our expectations, and become great at anything they choose," the director tried to persuade them and Julius.

Julius was silent for what seemed like an eternity to Kana. She stood there, glaring at the director with pure hate at his mentioning of splitting them up, breaking the only bit of happiness she had in this world. She also stared at Julius, with pleading eyes, to try and persuade him to tell that director guy to jump of a cliff and keep their family together...or what was left of it.

Then, he spoke, "Well, I gotta say, it's a pretty hard decision," Julius yawned, "but I'm gonna have to say that I'll have to talk it over with my girls first."

"I understand," the director said. "The offer is still up. I'd like to hear your response in about a week, okay? Wammy House prospectors don't take an interest in every bright individual. It truly takes someone special to catch their eye."

"Yeah, yeah, we'll let you know. But I can't promise anything!" Julius chimed as he led the girls out, grinning.

"Julius! The nerve of that guy thinking he could split us up! What a pathetic and outrageous idea!" Kana said, arms crossed in the passanger seat of Julius' porshe.

"Well, to be honest, I thought that we might like it in the Wammy House. It sounds like a nice place, and I really think we could surpass our own imagination if we went there," Azril stated matter-of-factly, while looking out the window, and twisting some of the strings that were attatched to her folded wheelchair.

"Azril! Listen to yourself! Do you really want to go to some _orphanage_ and become a homeless _orphan_! I don't even want to think of myslef in that situation!" Kana retorted, flailing her arms to add emphasis.

"Now Kana, don't be so biased. Just because you don't like orphanages, doesn't mean you won't like the Wammy House. You're lucky you've got an offer to join them. You shouldn't think of it as an orphanage, but as a... well, as a dormatory! Yeah!" Julius said, smiling.

"You've got to be kidding me," Kana said, staring at Julius with an eyebrow raised and pursed lips.

"No, really! It's not like you've got no one to take care of you. I'm here, I took you girls in, and I do care for you two. I personally think you two should join that educational facility and grow pass your own potential. You two are bright; you'll manage there fine. And, before you know it, you'll be smarter than even me! The great Julius of all knowledge!"

The two gilrs laughed and Julius looked at them in a comical way, "No, really! You two should know that I'm pretty smart and that I get high scores on tests all the time in art school!"

"But I bet you couldn't find your way out of a paper bag," Kana joked. "I've seen you at work when it comes to math and science and stuff. You aren't that smart," she teased.

"Hey now! Don't go dissin' your cuz," Julius complained, as Azril and Kana giggled jubiantly.

When they returned to the condo, Azril and Julius watched some TV as Kana left to go outside on the terrace. She looked over the setting sun on the sea._ It's so pretty out here, and we have so much fun with Julius here with us. I really don't want to go to that awful orphanage. But...it could be of some use to us. I guess we could learn more and excel as they say. But I just don't want to leave our picture perfect life that we have right now. I suppose we could try it out. This is a big decision for me, and I may only be eight, but I've made up me mind! Yes, _me _mind, not _my_ mind!_ Kana thought and giggled to herself. She jumped from her spot on the swinging chair and ran inside. Azril was studying flashcards for math with Julius. He was just holding up the cards, but he was making it fun as Azril was just laughing along the whole time.

"I've made up my mind," Kana proclaimed with the utmost dignity, as she stood by the patio door.

"Ok, so what's for dinner, my homecooking, or take-out?" Julius joked.

"Oh, please don't choose his cooking! He burns everything!" Azril pleaded.

"Hey! I don't burn most things..," Julius defended himself as he scratched his head with the corner of a flash card.

"No! Not that you idiots! I've decided that me and Azril should attend and live at the Wammy House in England!" Kana explained.

Both Azril and Julius widened their eyes, and Julius said, "I thought you didn't want to go."

"Yeah you said, 'nu-uh!'" Azril put in, making a little face and crossing her arms.

"Well, that was then, and this is now!" Kana said, clenching her fists at her sides.

"Oh yes, about two hours later, eh?" Julius teased, smiling foolishly.

"Ah! Yes, yes! Now call that stuffy guy up and tell'em we're going!" Kana said, chucking her sandal at Julius, which was a direct hit.

"Ow...okay! Okay! Just no more pain!" Julius pleaded, half ducking and halk slinking to the phone with his hands over his head.

Azril turned her wheelchair around and smiled at her sister, "I knew you'd choose the right choice for us. The Wammy House will be a good place for us to evolve and stuff. Add some big words here and there, and I can sound smart, too!" Azril grinned, squinting her eyes as her short blonde hair bobbed.

Kana laughed at her sister, and walked over to give her a hug. She wasn't so sure she'd like it there, but it was for the better, if anything. And they wouldn't be leaving Julius after all. They were merely going for a vacation, kinda. Nothing harmful, and Julius would be right here, waiting for them at home. _Home_.__

_**Well that's the beginning. More of a prologue thing, but it's wicked long I've realized. I don't even know how it got so big, but here it is. There will be more fun stuff along the way though, it won't all be sad and stern. Hopefully, I can have the next chapter up and finalize some other things. Reviews and Comments are always accepted! Thanks for reading it all 'til the end!**_

_**Lani**_


	2. The new Beginning

_Chapter 2_

_The New Beginning_

The next morning, Kana woke up smelling a delicious breakfast. _Weird, Julius can't cook to save his life_, she thought. She sat up, looked over at a sleeping Azril, and checked the time. Nine twenty-seven, AM. Kana pulled the covers off her, gently, and slid her feet to the floor, making a soft _thud_. She stretched her arms up and gave a great yawn. Kana walked out into the hallway, and softly padded down the stairs. She paused and her eyes widened, as she saw an elderly man sitting at the kitchen table and Julius putting something that seemed like mini omelets into the massive oven. Her arms fell softly off the railing of the stairs and rested next to her hip.

"Ah! There's one right there! Morning Kana-Kana! We have a visitor here today, so would you be so kind as to wake up that lazy sister of yours, and get yourselves dressed?" Julius called out from behind the open refrigerator door, as he pulled out some fresh orange juice and milk. The orange juice was just made yesterday; Azril had picked the oranges with Kana, and they learned how to make it from Julius. Another memory that would be missed...

Kana simply nodded, still wide-eyed, and looked at the strange man in his suit, who was smiling at her. She turned and scampered back up the stairs, and jumped onto Azril's bed."Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" She nearly yelled the words at a very sleepy Azril, as she jumped up and down on the bed.

"Wha..?" Azril said as she swung her arm into the air as an attempt to knock off her attacker, which failed.

"Some guy in a suit is sitting at the table, eating our breakfast, and talking with Julius! Hurry, _hurry_! We need to be dressed and _ready_!" Kana blurted as she blocked her sister's little arm and jumped off the bed. She rummaged through her drawers to find something to wear. She decided on wearing something that would scare the man, something Aunt Yuri gave her. _Aha! _she thought. _This will be perfect! _She grabbed one of the red and black plad skirts that had pretty frills along the edges, and grabbed a black t-shirt with Japanese characters on it, which meant, "Little Fallen One." She figured it was perfect, since most girls didin't dress this way and that would make this man go away as soon as possible. For whatever reason he was here for, she didin't like it. _Period_.

Kana looked at Azril, who had managed to roll over to the end of her bed, and look in a few drawers. She had pulled out a pretty, light blue sundress, which had Japanese characters in a cute style, written in pink bubbly. It read, "Sunny Girl!" She looked satisfied, smiling while holding it up, and grabbed some cute knee socks that matched with their stripes. "Azril! Why would you wear something so bright and happy? We need to get this guy to leave! He could be here for various, unknown reasons!" Kana pointed out to her sister, who looked puzzled.

"Now, why would ya' wanna do that? I think that he's just here for inspection or something. Who knows? He could be a nice grown-up. And why do ya' have to use big words all the time?" Azril said as she slipped the dress on. She then worked on putting on her socks, which was always a difficult task for her ever since the accident.

"Here," Kana said as she walked over to Azril, and put her socks on for her, "I guess you're right. But I'm still wearing this. I like it, hehe!" Kana added on a lighter note, smiling gleefully at her sister.

On the way down the stairs, Kana was carrying Azril, piggy-back style, as she always did. The man was still there, sitting, and sipping something that could have been tea or coffee. Kana opened the 'tricked-out' wheelchair of Azril's, and set her in it. Azril scooched around to get comfy in it, and rolled her way to the side of the table where two chairs had been removed so she could park her 'wheels' there, as Julius put it. The man watched the two take their spots at the table, and Julius poured them some orange juice.

"Good morning, girls!" Julius chimed melodically, and set the glasses of juice in front of them, "I made your favorite little omelets this morning! I put extra bits of love in them, too!" he added, his green eyes sparkling and hands clasped together, staring in to the girls looked at him, mockingly smiling.

"Thank you, Julius!" they harmonized, and added, "Ohayo Gozaimasu."

"Ohayo gozaimasu, to you too," the man finally spoke, his deep voice vibrating like a cat's purr, deep in his throat. He put a way a dark cell phone, casually glancing at it.

"You know Japanese?" Kana asked, coolly. She took a small bite from her omelet, which had been placed in front of her as soon as the man had began talking.

"Yes, I know the language very well, and I speak quite fluently in it. Ah, pardon me. I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Watari." the man replied, slightly bowing at the table.

"Hmm, Watari. A Japanese name for an English man?" Azril asked between bites, slightly spilling some onto the table.

"Yes, and I would say the same for both of you," he replied. "I am from the Wammy House, an orphanage for gifted children, and I have come on your cousin's behalf today to take you two there."

Kana stood right up, dropping her fork next to her plate, making a slight clank. "No way! Already?" She asked, astonished. "It's only been a day!"

"Well, yeah, you told me to call, I did, and here he is!" Julius put in, leaning against the counter, one arm resting on the surface, the other occupied with something steaming. He took a sip and smiled, "So. You gonna go?"

"Wow! So fast, like a bunny! I can't wait to go! When do we leave?" Azril chipped in, happily.

"Whoah, whoah! We still need to pack, say good-bye to friends, say good-bye to Julius!" Kana stated, flustered.

Azril looked down, a little taken aback, and nodded with understanding.

Watari looked up at them with empathy, "Of course. I understand that fact, but we must leave immediately. You can send notes to your friends, daily even, and Julius is welcome to visit."

Kana looked at her omelet, just sitting there on its plate. Then she looked up, "Ok. We'll get our things packed right away!" She pushed her chair back and darted for the stairs. Azril glanced and smiled at Julius, innocently batting her eyes.

"Ok, ok, I'll carry you up this time," he said, playfully. He picked Azril up as she giggled, and swung her over his shoulder. She looked at Watari sitting there, smiling at her and pulling out the cell phone, and she smiled back. He seemed nice enough, and their new home awaited them.

* * *

Outside of the train station, Kana, Azril, Julius, and Watari stood waiting for it. Three bags full of the girls stuff was packed, and Azril was holding her stuffed cat close in her wheelchair. Kana had pulled something lacy out of her bag, a red and black ribbon. She took out the blue one that held a small section of her hair and replaced it with this one. On the other side of her head was the silky black ribbon with little red flowers on it that her mom had made for her. She was so skilled with her hands and always made her irreplaceable treasures... Fighting back sad thoughts, she looked at Julius and his smiling, eager face. He always made her feel safe and secure. Watari held the three bags, while a mini backpack was worn by Kana.

"Now you two," Julius said, lowering himself until he was at their height, and he put his arms around their shoulders, "be good, and expect letters from me every other day!"

"Why every other day and not just every day?" Azril asked, puzzled.

"Because then I'll have twice the amount to write to you guys!" he answered, hugging them tighter. "I'll miss you two. It was nice having you around, pestering me."

"We'll miss you too, Julius!" they replied, a twinge of sadness in their harmonic voices. Watari looked down at them, feeling sympathy and new hope for the two. He glanced at the dark cell phone for just a second, but Kana still noticed this suspicious activity. _Who could be so important that he has to check his phone so many times?_

Then the train's whistle blew loud, real loud, sending a vibration that cut through the air."Time to go! We'll talk to you soon, Julius!" Azril said as she rolled her way up the ramp in to the cabin.

"Don't forget to send me Tori's address in the mail! I never got it!" Kana called as she boarded the train, as well.

"Don't worry, I'll send it! See ya!" Julius waved back, a confident smile on his face and chestnut hair flowing in the breeze.

The girls walked into their little cabin in the train, and looked out the window. Kana opened the window wide enough so that she could kneel on the booth and Azril could look out from her wheelchair. They stuck their heads out the window and waved cheerfully to a shrinking Julius.

"You two'll do just fine at the Wammy House," Watari reassured them once they settled down, "Now, is there anything I should know about you two?"

"Well!" Azril started off. "I love my toys, 'specially my kitty, here," she plopped the white stuffed cat onto her lap, making it dance. "Her name is Lovette. My mom gave it to me!"

"She's very lovely. How about you, Kana?" Watari turned to face her.

"Hmm..." she began, "I like to play chess, a lot! And I love to draw. I draw things all the time!" Kana smiled.

"Ah, a young artist, eh?" Watari said. "What do you typically draw?"

"Uh, I usually draw animals and plants. I like to draw fairies, too. They're my favorite, because I love drawing their pretty wings," Kana replied, staring out the window, sort of zoning.

"I have one more thing to ask of you, two." Watari said after a short pause. "We, who work and attend the Wammy House, usually go by nicknames. It's to get used to each other and it's sort of fun, as the kids say. I know your real names, Mizuki Kanareichi and Miyoko Azril. Japanese names for two English-Italian girls, that are half Japanese. What a colorful mix, eh? So, what would you like to be called?"

The two stared at him for a moment and Kana finally spoke up, "If that's what the norm there, then I'd like to be called Yuri-chan, after our Aunt."

"Ooh! And I want to be called Lily! Lily-chan even! I love that flower so call me that!" Azril said, cheerfully. She hugged her kitty, swinging side to side in her wheelchair.

"Alright then, girls. Yuri-chan and Lily-chan. It's a pleasure to meet you two," Watari said, extending his hand in a friendly gesture. They shook it and laughed._ From now on_, Kana thought, _I'm not Mizuki Kanareichi. My name is _Yuri_ now. I can still remember my old name, but this is what everyone shall know me as. Same goes for Azril. She's _Lily-chan _now, so we'll have to remember this and keep to our new names. I wonder if there's some sort of particular significance to this... Some sort of secret society? Strange; this Wammy House is already getting too many secrets and mysteries for my liking._

* * *

The train ride was a few hours long, and then they rode in Watari's van to the Wammy House. It was a big place, like an old Victorian castle house of the sort. It towered about their heads as the looked up at its spiraled peaks. The afternoon sun was shining directly over the highest peak, making an impressive silhouette against the massive building. "Wammy House: Orphanage for Gifted Children," was the sign that could be read on the huge, black peaked gates that surrounded its campus. The three walked into the building through its massive dark oak doors. Watari led them into a big office room that was down another hallway or so from the doors.

As they approached these doors, the doors abruptly opened and three boys walked out. One was a small boy, about the same height as Yuri, with white hair and a white outfit that looked like pajamas. He was walking, more like slinking, out of the office with his head down, and his expression was hard to read from her angle. Another boy, wearing goggles for no apparent reason, in a striped red and black shirt, with bright red hair, was following him, his eyes focused on a Nintendo DS game console. Finally, a blonde kid stormed out shouting like a maniac, "Whatever you say, Roger! I don't care if it's wrong to go around hiding toys from little freaks! And! I don't care if I get in trouble for it! Grarh! Matt! Gimme chocolate and have it ready for me!"

Yuri looked at this kid, startled and was left asking herself, _Is this a boy or a girl? _

_'It' _stormed past her, too angry to notice her or Lily. Watari placed his hand on the blonde's shoulder, "Mello, were you making a raucous again?"

Mello shot him a look of pure hatred, and shrugged off his hand, "Not now old man! I'm about ready to kick someone's ass and you don't want it to be you!" Mello looked at the two of them with an icy glare that sent shivers down Yuri's spine, and then ran off into another hallway, where they heard things being knocked over.

Yuri heard a girl's voice bark, "Mello! What's your problem? It took me three hours to build this!" Then a loud smack was heard, and the sound of laughter commenced as some boy said, "Mello got bitch-slapped! Ha!"

_Gifted children alright! A bunch of swearing psychos live here!_ Yuri thought shivering. What had she gotten them into? The doors remained open, and the three went in.

"Ah! You must be the new attendees! Welcome to Wammy's House for Girfted Children! Sorry about the little, er, disruption that our dear Mello caused for you. He's just a little tempered," the man, who Yuri suspected to be Roger, said.

"It's perfectly fine, we'll get used to the noise I guess. We're used to loud boys anyway," Yuri said, smiling. She thought back to Scott and Tori. They used to play outside together all the time, and Scott was the one who taught Tori and Yuri how correctly swing on a swing without being pushed. A quick sadness twinged in her, sending a cold shock of realization that she won't be able to see Tori again in person for a really long time.

"I thought he was silly!" Lily said, brightening up the room with her cheerful voice. It lifted Yuri's spirit a bit.

"Well, what are your names?" Roger asked.

"I'm Yuri and this is Lily," Yuri stated, pointing to herself and to Lily, who sat cheerfully in her wheelchair.

"Ah, yes, okay. I'll just write down these names and you'll have your schedules all set, and your rooms. You'll be sharing the same room with two other girls, okay?" Roger said in a deep voice, that was oddly comforting. He handed the girls two sheets of paper, with their names hand written on the top, and the schedule and dorm room printed below. _They must have been already expecting us, even though we were just called in yesterday, and were even asked yesterday! _Yuri thought.

"Well, off you go now, but I do have one thing more to apologize for," Roger said, looking directly at Lily. She tilted her head to the side, puzzled. "This facility is an old establishment, built during the early eighteen hundreds, even late seventeen hundreds. So, sadly there are no wheelchair accessible areas on the higher floors. We're working on adding a new lift, sort of like an elevator to help you, Miss Lily. But for now, you'll have to have someone help you get up to your classes on the second floor. I'm truly sorry about that."

"That's ok! Yuri nee-chan always helps me up the stairs at home. We'll manage fine!" Lily said, adjusting the Lovette in her lap. Roger nodded, and the two were escorted out into the hallway by Watari. Yuri and Lily traveled down the corridor and saw many different rooms and even more hallways. At each room they passed, the kids would look up to see what the rolling noise was. They all stared at Lily as she sat in the wheelchair, calmly sitting there as Watari pushed her. "Why are they staring at me?" Lily asked as she looked around to see many kids looking back at her, wide-eyed.

"It's probably because they've never seen a younger kid, as yourself, in a wheelchair. I'm not even sure if they've ever seen something of the sort before in their lives," Watari said, shrugged and waved politely to the bewildered kids. Some waved back while others kept on staring. They passed a room where the three boys they had seen earlier were sitting. The white haired one sat on the floor preoccupied with some sort of puzzle. The boy with the goggles and striped shirt was laying on one of the chases, playing a videogame, still, while Mello sat on top of him, eating a chocolate bar. Yuri paused to look at them, wondering what the other two's names were. Mello shot her a look of mixed meanings: anger, curiosity, and wonder. She stared back for a moment, until the red head looked up, too, then she took off, waltzing behind Watari, trying to catch up. She could hear Mello mumble something, but heard no response from the other two as she made it to the stairs.

Watari said, "Your rooms are on the third floor. I'll take the wheelchair and bags, if you could be so kind as to carry Miss Lily, Miss Yuri." Yuri nodded and Watari lifted Lily onto her back. She then proceeded to hike up the first flight of stairs. She paused at the top, looking back at Watari who had called some assistance to help out. Two girls, who looked a little older than Yuri, had taken the bags and Watari was carrying up the folded wheelchair.

Yuri turned back around to walk up to the other floor and waited there for Watari and the two girls.

When they caught up with them, one girl, a dark blonde whose hair was sort of messy and shoulder length spoke, "So, you guys are the new kids, eh? Well, don't be intimidated by us at all here at Wammy's. We're all a little insane on the inside, but then again, isn't everyone? I'm Kathy by the way. What're your names?"

"I'm Yuri, and this is my sister, Lily." Yuri replied, smiling. She was thankful that this girl was friendly and nice. The other appeared out of nowhere it seemed, her dark hair thrown back in a low ponytail, which was off center towards the left of her head. Her bangs were long and nearly covered her indigo eyes.

She spoke as well, in a thick Russian accent, "Hello, I am Felicia. It's nice to meet you two, Yuri and Lily. I like your names. They are very pretty."

"Thanks, so is yours," Yuri replied. Lily was holding the info cards and reading them. She finally said, "Hey, our rooms should be right down this hall to the left!"

"Hey! We're in the same area! I think we're all roomies guys!" Kathy said, cheerfully.

They made their way down the hall and sure enough, they were roomies! The girls put their stuff on the floor, and Watari walked in.

"Here is your chair, Lily. I hope you can all get along well, and remember the rules. Katherine, Felicia, please tell them the rules about the dorms and lunch will be served soon. I'll be expecting to see you all there in about half an hour. Good bye, ladies," Watari then exited the room, closing the door, and pulling out the cell phone once again.

The girls looked at each other for a moment, and Kathy was the first one to speak. She clapped her hands together and said, "Well then! Let's get started unpacking, then, eh? You guys can use those two dressers over there, near your bunks. That table to the right can be used as a nightstand, and you can stick anything you want in and on it. There's even a little safe in there, in case you want to store something more valuable. The combination should be there... So, what's this wheeled thing you're even sitting in, Lily?"

"It's a wheelchair. I use it to move around because I can't walk," Lily replied, playing with Lovette, who was sitting in her lap.

"Oh," Kathy said, looking down. Felicia opened up one of the bags and said, "So, where would you like these?"

* * *

The bell for lunch rang and the four girls managed to complete unpacking and we already downstairs. Stairs seemed to be the enemy for them at the moment, for Yuri always had to carry Lily down, and Kathy and Felicia still had to get used to folding and unfolding the wheelchair. On the way down, Kathy had pinched her fingers locking the lock and cursed, "Damn it! This thing is so evil!" All three laughed as Kathy pouted.

In the lunch room, it was obvious where they were to sit. There was a table that seemed to be missing a few chairs, to make room for the wheelchair. Yuri pushed Lily to it, locked the chair, and sat down next to her. Many kids from the other tables were whispering to one another, asking what that contraption was. Yuri noticed Mello and the red head sitting next to eachother, across from her, both next to Kathy. The white haired one was nowhere to be seen. _I still need to find out their names, along with everyone else in this place_...

Kathy put her arm around Mello, playfully, "My Mello Jello! What trouble did you get yourself into today? I heard you were slapped in the Commons room? Haha!"

He looked at her and said, "It wasn't even my fault! It was that stupid Near's crybaby antics that got me and Matt in trouble! And get your hands off of me, woman!" He removed her arm from his shoulders, and crossed his arms.

She poked his head and said, "Well, you did throw his robot out the window, which hit Saria in the head...hehe," She giggled.

"Tch," was all Mello said, and the red head spoke up," Whenever you say Saria's name, I swear I keep thinking of the Legend of Zelda. It's weird!"

"No, you're weird Matty," Kathy said, looking passed Mello to see his face. He sheepishly smiled back."Hey," Mello said, addressing Yuri and Lily. "What're your names? I saw you guys on the way in and I hear you're the new ones."

Yuri stopped eating her soup and looked up, "I'm Yuri, and this is my sister, Lily."

"More videogame names?" Matt said, between slurping his soup.

"Would you stop slurping! It's one of the most disgusting noise I've ever heard in my life!" Mello spat at Matt, who continued to slurp extra loud. "Don't make me shove that spoon up your-"

"So! Yuri, what do you like to do?" Kathy yelled, stopping Mello's sentence. He gave her a look, _the_ look. "Ah, Mello, don't be so rude! Now let's have a _nice_ conversation for once, and not get into a food fight like_ last _time."

"Haha, _last_ time..." Matt's voice trailed off as he slurped up another sip of soup, thinking back.

Yuri laughed a little, "Well, I like to draw, and so far, I'm really liking this place."

"Yeah, you guys are really funny! I'm glad we're friends!" Lily said, as she took Lovette off her head and placed her on her lap. Mello looked at her puzzled, and Matt simply winked through his goggles, which started to fog up thanks to the steam of the soup.

"Mello! The MIST! It's back to eat me!" Matt yelled as his goggles continued to fog up.

"Matt, you idiot! It's just your retarded goggles. Take'em off, and 'The Mist' will be gone..." Mello replied looking irritable, sitting there eating his soup and rolling his eyes.

"They're not retarded..." Matt said as he lifted them.

"Well, I like them. I always have, haha," Felicia said.

"Thank you!" Matt said, obviously quick to recover.

Yuri finished quickly, not really hungry from all the excitement and anticipation of the day. "Hey, I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick. I'll be back. Oh, um, where is it?"

"Down the hall to the right, past the playroom, and thanks for telling me by the way," Mello said, half joking. Yuri smiled and got up.

She left the lunch room, which was filled because all kids ate lunch at the same time, so it seemed. _Well, this is my chance to explore around as well_, Yuri thought happily. She preferred exploring alone. She walked down several halls and noticed that there were all kinds of rooms: libraries, playrooms, special rooms made for classes, study rooms, and plenty of bathrooms. She made her way back to the main hallway, passed the library. She heard a weird noise, like a clicking of some sort. Yuri looked in and saw the white haired boy. He was sitting in the room all alone near the window, and had just finished dumping a puzzle onto the floor. She walked in casually and he didn't seem to notice her. He continued to put the puzzle back together, piece after piece like a machine.

"Wow, you're really good at puzzles, huh?" Yuri said as she squatted down next to him. He looked at her quickly, with a blank expression. He continued his puzzle and only nodded to her remark. "I like puzzles, too," she continued, "but, why is yours all white?"

"...It's more difficult that way..." he finally answered after a pause. He kept clicking the pieces in one after another, his speed never changing.

She sat down next to him, and said, "Well, I prefer puzzles that have more...color! I like them to have more of a design to it, like a field of flowers, or something," The boy stopped picking up pieces, and raised his hand to twirl a piece of colorless hair. "...hmm," was all he said. Then Yuri asked, "Why aren't you eating in the lunch room anyway? Why are you all alone out here?"

It was a while before he answered. Yuri sat there, wondering if this kid just never really talked or if he didn't like her. Finally, he replied slowly, "Well, no one ever talks to me. They leave me alone. I'm used to it anyway..." His voice was so quiet; it was like he never spoke at all. Yuri laid down next to the puzzle, practically on top of the pieces. She rolled to her side and looked the this strange boy directly in the eyes. He stared back, his emotionless face now showing some interest, since this girl seemed to be foreign to him.

"Well," Yuri finally said, sitting up and starting to twist the ribbon in her hair, "I hope we can be friends then. Since you're always alone and stuff. It's not right to be lonely, even if you are used to it. Nu-uh, shouldn't be that way." She stood up, brushing herself off for no apparent reason, and added, "I guess I'll be heading back then." The boy just looked up at her, bewildered. "It was nice to meet you...umm, what's your name by the way?" she asked.

He looked away for a moment as Yuri rolled her eyes, _This kid is gonna drive me insane the way he takes forever to answer simple questions..._

"Near," he whispered, and looked up at her again. He got up, too, and said, "Could you help me...pick up...and...what's your...name?"

Yuri blinked twice, then smiled. "I'm Yuri! And I can help you pick up, sure!" The two cleaned up rather quickly, and Near put the top of his puzzle box on to close the case.

"Thanks," he said quietly. "You're not like...others." He looked down again, twirling a section of colorless hair in between his forefinger and thumb.

"You wouldn't happen to mean that I'm not like Mello, would you?" Yuri said, as Near's head shot up at the mention of Mello's name. "If so, you are right. I'm not like that punk, Mello. I can tell he's mean just by the way he lets his emotions get the best of him at times - and by that I mean frequently. I noticed that when he swore at Watari and glared at me even though I did nothing..." Her voice trailed off as she saw the intense stare of Near, who was completely absorbed in the story. "You were there anyways, right? I mean, you were the victim in that little fight, huh? I heard it from Kathy." She stopped, and smiled again. _Try to act friendly. Near obviously needs it._

"What happened to you?" Near asked quietly.

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with my face or hair?" Yuri panicked as she ran her fingers through her hair and rubbed her face in an attempt to get whatever was on her off. "Is there something on me? Get it off!"

"No, nothing like that," Near said. Yuri could have swore she saw a tiny smile appear for a small second on his face, only to vanish quickly. "You seem, broken..."

"Huh? Broken?" Yuri asked, confused by his sudden question.

"Did something happen to you, too... To make you come...here?" he kept continued.

Yuri's eyes widened. This kid, Near, seemed to stare right into her soul and see her inner-most thoughts and insecurities. This was getting a little freaky. "Look, Near, I don't want to be mean or anything, but you're kind of freakin' me out..." Yuri started to say but stopped when Near said, "Oh...sorry. I guess I am a freak..." He turned around to go sit on the couch, dropping his puzzle box.

"No, no, no, no, no! No, you're not! You're just...er...interesting! Yeah!" Yuri said as she grabbed his shoulder to turn him around. "You're an interesting person who thinks differently! You aren't weird or a freak. You're your own person, like me! I don't typically wear what other girls do, which usually caused the other girls in school to question me. But as my Aunt would say, 'Conforming to the man isn't nearly as much fun as messin' with him!' " She winked, half proud of herself for remembering the quote, and pleased to be making a point._ I guess I do think more maturely than I should_, Yuri thought to herself and grinned smugly.

Near looked at her. He gave her a big smile and laughed a little. This must have been rare, because Yuri heard some gasps from outside the library. She turned around to see Felicia and Kathy holding their hands over their mouths, and they quickly ran for cover. They were obviously spying on her and Yuri wasn't too pleased. She half-closed her eyes and pouted her mouth at this thought.

Near stopped his quiet laughing and said, "You're my first real friend, you know?"

"Really?" Yuri said, truly shocked. He must have been kept in some asylum for all his life, or people just really didn't talk to him.

Near nodded and turned to grab his puzzle box on the floor. "I suppose I'll see you later?" The casual phrase seemed foreign coming out of his mouth.

"Uh, yeah, definitely! Bye-bye, Near!" Yuri waved as she exited the room. The bells that rang to end lunch had just finished, and Yuri thought that was why Near had said bye so suddenly. _Well, he sure is an interesting individual_, she thought as she looked around for Lily, Kathy, and Felicia. _He seems so delicate, like the rice paper Aunt Yuri showed us. If I cut too deeply, he'll tear right in half._

After looping through many halls and rooms, she found the three of them with Mello, Matt, and some other little boy. They were playing some sort of card game, and it seemed as though Mello was losing because he kept cursing every round. "Hey, what are you guys playing?" Yuri asked, casually strolling in.

"Well, well! It's about time you got in here! We've been playing twenty-one, and Mello is showing off what little skills he possesses," Kathy said, giving Mello a mocking look.

"Shut the hell up! At least I'm not cheating! Like Felicia!" he shouted, grabbing another card from a pile and cursing as he threw his hand down. "Damn it, Felicia! Why do you always screw around with my cards!"

"It's not like I'm doing anything to you!" Felicia's accented voice rose above the laughter of everyone in the room. "You just suck at this game, so don't go blaming me for your lack of skills, girly-man!"

"Arg! I can't stand this anymore! Matt! Get your ass in gear! We're leaving!" Mello belted, throwing his cards on the table and standing up.

"Since when did you decide when _I'm_ lea-" Matt's voice seemed to run away from him as he saw the look Mello was giving him, "See you guys later!" Matt said, quickly and ran after Mello.

"Ah, you missed such a lovely time nee-chan!" Lily said from her chair.

"What's nee-chan mean again, Lily?" The little boy asked. He was wearing a tan, long sleeved shirt, which seemed to big for him, and red shorts. His hair was was spiky in the back from many cowlicks, and his little bangs seemed to whisk in an invisible breeze.

"Sister! It means older sister, Shiki," Lily said as she gave him her cards.

"Ah, yes, that's right! I can't remember those kinds of things too well, haha," Shiki rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. He took the cards with him as he left and waved bye to everyone in the room.

"That a new friend of yours, Lily?" Yuri asked, with a sly smile.

"Yeah! He's Shiki! He joined us at the table after you left and he suggested that we all play cards! So, we followed him to the play room, or as I now call it, the card room, and we played!"

"Yeah! That's _all_ we did, no detours or anything," Kathy said, with a hint of guiltiness in her tone. Yuri's umber eyes sharply cut through her charade. "Heh, heh...you heard us, right?"

"Well, yeah I did! Who couldn't hear you two's obnoxious gasps? What were you guys spying on me for anyway?" Yuri asked, a little annoyed.

"We just wanted to see what you were doing taking so long going to the bathroom. It didin't seem right!" Kathy said, trying to make her side of the story sound like the sweet, innocent side.

"It's true," Felicia said, rising from her spot on the couch. "We were just wondering where you were. And when we saw you with Near..." She looked out the window, not bothering to continue her sentence.

"What were you doing with him, and how did you get quiet boy to smile and actually_ laugh_?" Kathy remarked in an astonished voice.

"Is it really so unbelievable that Near laughed and smiled? What is he, a robot or something most of the time?" Yuri asked sarcastically.

"Well, yeah," Kathy replied, "He's usually not too open about talking, or breathing even."

"Whatever, it doesn't really matter now because he's now talking, right?" Yuri said, putting her arms around the two. "I'll make sure he stays human, don't worry!"

"It's not your job you know," Kathy muttered and gave her a look, raising her eyebrows over her vivid green eyes.

"Yeah, you don't have to, and what are you gonna do about the whole drama between him and Mello and Matt?" Felicia said, obviously challenging Yuri's logic.

"I'll make'em buddies!" Yuri said and she giggled.

The four laughed and Lily said, "Well, what do we do now?"

"We could watch TV, or play outside or something," Felicia suggested.

"Okay! Let's go hang outside! It's still sunny out and we can catch some good sun!" Kathy exclaimed as she led the way out of the 'card room' and into the hall.

On their way out, Yuri wondered to herself. _I really don't get the big deal with Near and stuff. Sure, he's a little on the quiet side, and Mom always said look out for those quiet ones, saying that they'd turn on me one day. Ah, Mom. I miss you and Dad. I'll see you guys again someday, and until then I'll take good care of Azril. Oh! I mean Lily! We still have to play this game of fake names and silly things. And, so far, I don't really mind Wammy's. It's a nice place, where the people are different, and I can tell that some strange stuff'll be happening each day thanks to the characters they've got living in this place. Haha. Yeah, I'm positive we'll be fine here._

"Hey! Yuri! You gonna come or what?" Yuri heard Kathy shout out to her, breaking the zone she had slipped into.

"Oh yeah! Be right there!" Yuri ran out to catch up with the girls outside, running into the blinding sun, and into her new future.

**Well, there's chapter two. Finally, some real DeathNote characters appear! I don't know why my chapters end up so long, but I guess it's good in a way. I hope you guys like it, and reviews are always welcome! I'm sorry if there are any typoes in this thing. I try to read over as much as I can, yet, when I preview it, I always catch something, hehe. Editing seems to take even longer now that my uploaded files are acting up, creating huge blocks of texts instead of my paragraphs... Well I hope you enjoy!**


	3. Safety Blanket

_Chapter 3_

_Safety Blanket_

_Life here at Wammy's sure is fun!_ Yuri thought happily during her global class. _Lily and I have been here for about a month or so now, and it's really nice! Yet_, _this class is so dull. I've already learned about Japanese history from Mom. This test'll be a real easy one._

"Ms. Yuri, would you kindly tell us what the warrior code for the Japanese Samurai was?" The teacher, a very uptight, elderly woman, who seemed to never like Yuri, asked with venom lacing her voice. Yuri and her two best friends, Kathy and Felicia, called her Ms. Stuck-up-her-butt, because she always acted as if something were, well, stuck up her butt.

Yuri looked up, snapping her self back to reality, "The Bushido, which was similar to the Knights' Chivalry, during the Feudal European Era." She gave her a sly smile. This lady doesn't know a thing, she thought smugly, laughing to herself.

Ms. Stuck-up-her-butt raised her eyebrows and turned back to the green chalkboard in the front of the classroom, "Very well then."

Kathy, who was sitting in front of her, turned around and said quietly, "Wow, we just learned that earlier in class! How can you remember if you were zoning?"

Yuri winked back at her, "My mom was Japanese, and believed we should know our heritage's history. This stuff is easier than pre-k math to me!"

"Cheater!" Kathy grinned back, and turned around quickly as Ms. Stuck-up-her-butt whipped around, giving them the stink eye.

The two girls sat up straighter, and played innocent. Mello, who was sitting behind Felicia, and next to Yuri, started cracking up, causing Matt to lose concentration on his hidden DS.

"Damn it! Damn it!_ Damn it_!" Matt yelled as he slammed his right hand on his desk, causing everyone to stare at him. "Mello! Your laughter always screws up my focus! Now I have to start all the way back at level twelve, and pass that friggin' boss again to get back to level fifteen! Damn you! I-" Matt stopped shouting at Mello, when he noticed that the whole class and Ms. Stuck-up-her-butt were staring right at him. She glared at him, and marched right over to his seat.

"Master Matt! What do you think you are doing? Please: these _barbaric_ things_ in class?_! I will have to confiscate them until further notice. Now please sit up straight in your seat and _pay_ attention to me and this class!"

Matt's mouth dropped practically to the floor, and he gave her a look of pure horror as she tried to take away his games. "My babies! No!" he pleaded in a desperate voice as Ms. Stuck-up-her-butt tried to unlatch his hands from the DS. She finally managed to pry them out, leaving Matt mortified. "No! This isn't fair!" he protested, drawing in his knees to his chest and rocking back and forth.

The class had a small laugh and continued to give their attention to the uptight teacher. Yuri looked at Matt with a sympathetic look. It was her fault in a way, since she made Kathy's reaction funny to Mello somehow, which had given away Matt's secret. Or one of his secrets... _Ah! Now this is gonna eat at me all class. I'm gonna have to apologize or something_, Yuri thought, resting her head on her right arm that was leaning on her desk.

About half an hour later class ended and Matt as still in his fetal position. Yuri walked up to him and said, "Matt, are you alright?"

"She took them...my babies...scared and cold in that horrible desk..." Matt was a wreck. He obviously needs video games and this obsession of his couldn't be healthy.

Yuri made a determined face, and turned around to the front of the class. Ms. Stuck-up-her-butt had already left, and the class was thinning out, only leaving Matt, Mello, Near, Felicia, Kathy, and herself in the room.

"Yuri, that face can't mean nice things," Kathy teased Yuri, propping herself on Mello's desk.

"You know, your ass sure doesn't help my grades, so get the hell off of them!" Mello said, trying to grab the papers that she was sitting on.

"Too bad!" she used her arms to lift herself for about two second and plopped back down. Mello had grabbed his papers already and was shoving them back into his messy desk.

"That desk is locked," Felicia pointed out as she leaned against Mello's chair.

"Why?" He said, annoyed, as he glared at the girls surrounding him. They were bothersome to him; that's all they were.

Yuri marched up the aisle of desks, and went straight up to the teacher's desk."Hey! Which one did you see her stick it in?" Yuri called out to them.

Near had followed her and he pointed to the drawer on the top left. "Here, I saw her put it in here."

Yuri looked up at him and smiled, "Thankies, Near!"

Mello rolled his eyes, "Near always sees everything! He's such a tattletale!"

Yuri shot a look at him, telling him to be quiet. Near looked down and kept on fiddling with his hair.

"Suit yourself," Mello said as he turned to face Matt, who stared at Yuri. _Why does she do these things? _he wondered. _She aways goes out of her way to help others. Why aren't I like that? Why don't I take care of myself for once?_

Matt got up and walked down to join Yuri, who was desperately searching for something to pick the lock with.

"Here," Matt said as he pulled out a safety pin out of his pocket.

"Wow, thanks, Matty!" Yuri said as she took the pin from him. "Now, if I can remember how to do this..."

"You've done this before?" Near asked looking at her.

"Yeah. Once, my mom lost the key to her jewelry kit and she tried to pick the lock. She couldn't get it so she asked me to, and I got it. She said that I was her lock picker from then on, which wasn't a very nice skill to be proud of, but hey. Whenever she went out to some of her fancy meetings, she always had me pick that lock," Yuri explained as she played around with the lock. A loud _clink, clank _was heard and Yuri let out a triumphant, "Yes!" She pulled open the drawer and there laid Matt's precious baby, along with other items such as little dolls, dice, clips, cards, and various other knick-knacks. Matt's face lit up as he reached in and grabbed his DS.

"My baby!" Matt said as he hugged the game system and skipped off and up the aisle. He turned around as if remembering something, and ran back to hug Yuri. "Thank you very much!" he said as he hugged her and then he ran off to show Mello, who was beginning to steam from Kathy and Felicia's 'bothersome' antics. They were braiding his hair and putting little clips in it as he sat there, chomping on a chocolate bar, which seemed to have appeared from no where. The two girls giggled happily as they continued their work and complimented Mello on his silky hair.

"What kind of shampoo do you use, my Mello Jello?" Kathy said, teasingly. "I'll need to borrow it so that my hair is as silky, smooth as yours! Heehee!"

"Damn girls, messin' with my hair, making fun of me, arg..." Mello mumbled between bites of chocolate.

"Yes, Yes! You'll just have to lend your miracle shampoo to me, darling!" Felicia mused, which seemed to break Mello's tolerance at an instant.

"That's it! Get the hell off!" he shouted as he smacked their hands off of his head and stood up. He glared at them and said, "Why do I even hang out with you two?"

The two girls looked at each other and smiled innocently. "Because we're the smartest, most talented, and most gifted people, you'll ever get to be around with!" Felicia said.

"That's right! And you know you'd be bored with_out _us, muahaha," Kathy added, tilting her head back in an evil snicker.

Mello just kept glaring, knowing they were right, because without them, he'd be stuck with Matt and...Near. He shuddered at the thought. It was only fun to mess with him, but if he had to actually sit down and play games with him... Mello stopped those thoughts there, and sat back down. He sighed, "Do what you want, I don't give a crap anymore. Just don't make fun of how well kept I keep my hair. I do take pride..."

The girls let out squeals of joy as they began to go back to work. All this time, Yuri and Near just stood there watching. Yuri was actually slightly blushing. Her hand lifted slowly to touch her face, and she felt it burning. She never expected to be hugged by Matt. _He's just a friend_, she figured. _Friends hug all the time! It's only right. Natural, even!  
_

Near looked at Yuri, as he always did now, and noticed she was rather pink in the face, staring at Matt. A new, strange emotion ran through him. Of course he didn't let it show, as Yuri turned to him, smiling, and went up the aisle to join her friends. This emotion was so weird. It made him hate Matt in such a strong way, for no apparent reason. He quickly pushed it aside, as he usually did with any other feeling, and followed Yuri. She glanced back, to check if he was there or not, and smiled again. Her smile always made Near feel weird as well, but a good weird. If a good weird was logical, of course.

* * *

Dinner time seemed to arrive rather quickly. After global, the little group of theirs that consisted of Yuri, Kathy, Felicia, Mello, Matt, and even Near, though some members of the group objected with his presence, met with Lily and her two new friends. Since Lily was such a star at Wammy's due to her condition, she had many friends and kids would always talk to her, but only two kids seemed to be her closest friends besides her own sister. April was a five-year-old girl, with dark blond hair, who always had at least one of her dolls with her. She never took the same one out with her saying, "Well, they all need some time out of the house!" Lily also hung out with Shiki a lot more ever since the whole card episode. If he wasn't playing cards, Shiki would be reading, and nothing else. He seemed to not have a single care in the world except if you touched his books; then you were dead. They were his most prized possessions, and he'd let you know when _you _were out of line with his books. Azril and her friends sat at the same table near Yuri's friends and the groups always joined together. As soon as dinner was served, Yuri's face dropped and a look of disgust appeared.

"What's the matter, Yuri?" Felicia asked, casually, picking up her fork and about to dig in.

"Yeah, it's as if you've never seen meatballs before. Or spaghetti," Matt added, lowering his goggles so that they were around his neck in order to prevent _'the mist'. _Bright green eyes were revealed for once, which surprised Yuri.

She put her hand over her mouth, "I hate spaghetti and meatballs," she eventually said. She hadn't even picked up her silverware, and she had moved the plate forward.

"You can't even eat just a little?" Kathy put in, slurping up the hanging noodles, splattering the sauce. Some hit Yuri and she shivered all over.

"Aww, gross!" she squirmed, holding her napkin with both hands over her mouth.

"I've never seen someone get so worked up about food. Besides, you're part Italian. Why do you hate the stuff of your people? Just get over it and eat, or you won't have anything for dinner," Mello said, unsympathetically. He pushed the bowl towards Yuri, smiling evilly. "If you eat it quick, you won't taste it!"

Yuri swung her head side to side quickly, and pushed it back. "I'm not eating that gross stuff!"

"I, myself, have never seen someone with such a hate towards spaghetti. Everyone I know loves the stuff." Kathy said matter-of-factly, shoveling down more pasta.

"I'm gonna have to leave, it even smells gross!" Yuri said as she pushed her chair back and stood up.

"You're really leaving just because of this _de-licious _food?" Mello said, laughing. His laughter made bits of the food splatter out.

"That's it! I'm out!" Yuri said as she scurried away. "I don't have to eat tonight! See you after you finish!"

Lily looked after her and glared at Mello. "Why do you have to be a jerk about things?"

"I just do, Ha-Ha!" he continued to eat messily.

Matt laughed a little, and Kathy whispered to Felicia how Yuri seemed to overreact about the food. Lily just ate her spaghetti calmly. Yuri had overreacted just a bit, though she did almost always throw up when she had to eat it at home. She felt kinda bad for Yuri, but it was her own fault for being so picky about foods.

Near was watching the whole thing from his spot at the end of the table where Yuri had been. He had stuffed a napkin in his shirt, to prevent any spills as _someone _had taught him to, whenever he was eating something messy. Spaghetti was one of Near's favorites. Because he liked it, did that mean he was just like Mello and his jerky actions? He stopped eating, though he was really only poking it, and pulled out the napkin.

"Don't tell me you're done, too, Near!" Lily said as she saw him get up and push his chair in.

"It's okay, he don't eat much anyway. And that leaves more for Matty!" Mello said as he reached over to grab Near's bowl and shoved it to Matt.

"You know, I'm not a garbage disposal," he said as he finished the last bites of his own spaghetti. "But, since it's here," Matt began to say as he started shoving down Near's food. Near was still standing there though, and only looked at them. Matt dipped his head in a small apology, but Near didn't even acknowledge it as he sauntered off.

* * *

Near walked out into the hall, leaving the noisy dining hall behind him. He looked outside. It was darker then usual. Near hadn't bothered to check the weather, but it seemed as though a thunderstorm was approaching. That's how the weather usually was, though, in the early summer, late spring. Raising his hand to twirl a strand of hair as he walked, he wondered where Yuri could have been. The hall lights weren't much help, since they were usually dimmed when everyone was in the same room to conserve energy. He kept on walking, his senses alert for any sign of Yuri. About another hallway or so down, he found that in one room, the library, a light was turned on. He took a glance inside and found Yuri sitting there, on a little yellow love-seat in the corner, playing chess by herself. She stopped for a moment, before Near even walked in, and looked outside. It was even darker now, and rumbling thunder was heard in the distance. She sat up, turned around to check for something behind the little couch.

"Aha!" Near heard her say as she pulled out a little black blanket. It had red roses along the edges, and Near remembered it from a long time ago, from when he used to use it. She settled down in it and used the foot that was sticking out of the bottom to push aside the chess set. She looked out the window and sighed. Near finally mustered up enough of, whatever this new emotion was, to walk in. Yuri immediately looked at him as he entered. She smiled.

"Heya, Near. Did you finish early or something?" Yuri asked, truly not knowing why.

He didn't say anything as he walked over. He simply nodded. Near stood there looking at her, until Yuri came to a realization.

"Oh! Do you want me to make room for you? I can, I'm not taking up too much space as it is, and I'm not fat like Mello, haha," Yuri said as she pulled off some of the blanket and moved over making room for the small white haired boy. He climbed in, and the love-seat was big enough for the both of them to fit.

"See? Perfect fit, the two of us, huh? Here's some blanket," she said as she passed the rest of the folded blanket over. Near adjusted himself so that one leg was tucked in next to him and the other was dropping out.

"How do you sit like that? I've actually tried since you always seem to be so comfortable like that, and it's really hard! You have to have some sort of flexibility that I don't have to sit like that!" Yuri said, smiling and actually trying to prop her body to do that. She seemed to get tangled somehow and rolled off the couch. Near looked over, his eyes wide.

"Are you...?" Near was about to ask when Yuri got up quickly and said, "I'm fine! I'm okay! It's all good! Nothing's broken, I'm just sure I pulled something just then." She grinned, getting up the best she could without pulling anything else and jumped back into the seat next to Near. It made him jump up a bit, too, as he was startled by all this moving.

"You okay?" Yuri asked when she noticed him looking confused.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Near said, finally speaking.

"That's good!" Yuri said. Then she added, "And give me some blanket wouldya'? This house seems to be getting colder by the second!" She reached over Near to grab some of the folded over blanket, and he felt himself growing hot in the face. He touched his face and realized that it _was_ hotter. He felt a jolt of panic race through him. This kind of thing had never happened before. Maybe this was what Yuri was feeling before when she touched her own face after Matt had hugged her.

"Okay, this time, are you sure you're alright Near?" Yuri asked when she had finished pulling over the blanket and had gotten comfortable.

Near blinked a couple times and turned his head to face Yuri. Now he wanted to know what was going on because the weird feelings were getting out of control. "Yuri..." he began.

"Yeah, Near? What it is?" Yuri tilted her head to the side a bit. He always said her name differently from anyone else's. It wasn't strange, but she had noticed this frequently.

"What does it mean...when one's face reddens and they feel all hot. I've seen it happen before to many people, on TV and stuff. I've even seen you do it," Near asked, staring at her.

Yuri, startled by the question, looked back and forth, "Oh! Well, uh, when a person gets that way, um, it means, well..." she began. She was getting nervous at having to explain this to someone her age. She thought that by now, he should know what it meant. "Well, it's called a blush, or blushing, you know? It happens when you're nervous, or anxious about something even. It usually happens when someone likes someone else, and they look at them or something. You get it? 'Cause please tell me you got it, because I don't want to have to explain again, heh," Yuri looked away for a moment.

Near nodded slowly, understanding it. "Oh, I get it. I do," he replied. "Then does that mean you like Matt more than everyone else?" _And me?_ he thought.

"Wh-what are you talking about? I don't like Matt more than everyone else! I like everyone the same, as friends!" Yuri said, slightly blushing herself.

"See? You're doing it again," Near pointed out.

"Ahhh!" Yuri buried her face in the blankets trying to hide. Her childishness was getting the best of her. "No, I don't like Matt that way, ok? It's just...awkward to be having this conversation, that's all," she said, muffled by the blanket that was over her head.

"I see. I guess it is kinda awkward in a way," Near was quiet for a moment, and Yuri remained under the blanket. Finally, she decided it was alright to come out now, but before she could pull it off, Near had done it for her.

"It was getting lonely out here, you needed to come out," was all he said when he lifted the blanket off her head.

"S-Sorry about that! I let my childishness get the best of me, haha. Gimme a break, I'm only eight!" Yuri replied, smiling like she always did. She looked outside through the window on their left to see a very dark sky, and heard more thunder growl, closer. "Looks like the storm is coming!" she said, playfully.

"Yeah," Near replied, quietly. "Are you afraid of-" Near was about to finish when a flash of chain lightning lit up the room. Yuri's shocked face was lit up in the blinding white light as it struck. Then a loud crash of thunder was heard, so loud that it seemed to be directly over the Wammy House. At the same time, both children ducked under the covers for safety as the lights in the hallway flickered and the one next to them seemed to blow out.

"I'll take it you're afraid of thunderstorms, too?" Yuri said, and Near could feel her reassuring smile. "You wanna check if the lights are on?" she asked him, still shaking from the loud crash.

"Nu-uh," she heard Near say, and felt the blanket move as he moved his head from side to side.

"Aww, don't make me be the brave one!" Yuri teased, but they both cringed as another loud crash was heard right above their heads. The sound was so loud that the whole library seemed to be shaking in fear. "Please?" Yuri's voice trembled as she asked again.

Near then lifted the covers off for a second, only to return saying in a hushed voice, "Yeah, they're off."

Now that she stopped to actually hear the sounds around her, she noticed that she heard the cries of other kids and adults trying to calm them with gentle voices.

_Lily will be ok_, Yuri thought. _She loves thunderstorms. I've never understood why she could like such loud, terrifying things._

"Do you know if Kathy and Felicia and the others are afraid of storms like this, Near?" Yuri asked him. She scooched in closer to him, finding his presence more reassuring.

Near's heart almost skipped a beat as he felt her move in closer to him. He didn't know why he would feel this way. He just did. "No, they aren't afraid. They tease kids who are. _Like me_," Near said. The last part he said quieter. Yuri felt the uncertainty and sadness that Near was emitting just now, and she cuddled closer to him.

"Well, I get scared, too, you know. I mean look at both of us, all snug, under a blanket in the library, which I think I'll limit my time in here, scared stiff. It's silly in a way, but it doesn't mean we're stupid little scaredy-cats about it. Even though we are both huddled under a blanket, it doesn't give anyone the right to make fun of us!" Yuri said, trying to convince Near, and herself.

"Not even Mello?" Near asked, still trying to cope with the fact that Yuri was practically hugging him. He felt hot all over, but was too scared to move, or at least that's what he thought it was: Fear.

"That girly-boy? Naw! He never had the right to make of fun of you anyway. I think that deep down, he wishes to be one of your close friends, too. He just doesn't want to show it like a normal person because he thinks he'll look weird talking to you or something. His logic is that of a stranger's to me," Yuri said, fiddling with the ribbon in her hair.

Near just nodded, and played with his own hair for a while. They were both silent as they heard the rain come down, hard and heavy and lightning continued to threaten them."Yuri," Near said, breaking the silence.

"Hnn?" Yuri murmured, sleepily. The heat under the blanket was making her sleepy, and having Near there to comfort her was also adding to her "it's-comfortable-enough-to-sleep-now" list.

"Am I one of your close friends...like Kathy, or...Felicia? I'm not like Mello or...Matt, am I?" Near asked, also getting sleepy, too.

"Huh? Well, yeah, you're my close friend. I do consider you closer to me than Mello for sure, and even Matty. We just hang more that's all," she replied, now trying making a serious attempt at staying awake. The rain that had terrified her was now becoming a mere drizzling sound to her, and it was humming her to sleep.

"I guess so, too..." Near said, falling asleep as well. They both huddled closer together as they fell sleep, ignoring the world around them, safe in their own little sanctuary under this safety blanket.

* * *

"Hmm, I think I found them, Watari." A young man's voice sounded as he padded into the library. His bare feet made a distinctive sound against the hardwood flooring.

"Ah, it seems you have, Master L. It's a good thing you're here, or it would have taken me a while to find these two," Watari replied to the tall black haired boy in the white long sleeved shirt and the blue jeans.

He rubbed his feet together as he tilted his head sideways to scratch it. "Well, it's past curfew, I'm kinda tired, and I don't really feel as though I want to carry two children up to their rooms," L remarked, walking further into the room.

Yuri and Near were still under the safety of their blanket, and L had lifted it up to see if it was really them and not some other kids.

"Isn't that cute, Watari? They fell asleep even under the conditions of the weather earlier. I wonder if they were scared at all?" L's voice trailed off as he picked both of them up and lifted them over his shoulder.

"Master L, I could take Near for you, if you wish," Watari offered, but L shook his head 'no.'

"I've got'em, and I'm 87.6 percent positive little Yuri will be more willing to let me carry her up. I'm 96.8 percent positive that Near will be happier if I were to take him up." L smirked and began exiting the room.

"As you wish," Watari replied as he took the blanket and folded it. He put it back behind the couch as it was before and started to clean up the chess set.

L walked off with the two children, who were now fidgeting in their sleep, and proceeded to walk to the stairs. As he finished ascending the first flight, Yuri blinked several times, trying to remember where she was and what she was doing being lifted like this. Then, someone came to mind: _Julius!_ He carried her like this all the time back in Venice. But what could he possibly be doing here at the Wammy House? And Near! Where was he? Had he left her alone on the couch and Julius had found her there? She got a better look at the man carrying her, and noticed it was definitely not Julius. _This guy _had longer, spikier, black hair. _This guy _was slouching as he walked up the stairs and carried them. _This guy _was wearing a plain old white shirt and jeans. _This guy _had no shoes on and seemed to be humming as he carried her up. _This guy _was someone she had never seen before and she wondered why he was even here.

Before Yuri could speak, she saw Near, slung over like she was, _smiling_. What could he be smiling about? This weirdo was carrying them like they were a sack of potatoes up the stairs to who knows where. Near proceeded to then hug the guy!

"Wh-who are you hugging Near? Who is this guy?" Yuri finally said, her voice quiet and croaky from sleep.

Near smiled, "It's L."

"L?" Yuri repeated, bewildered.

"Yes? You need something, Yuri? Can you walk now, or do you prefer me carrying you?" L spoke to her, turning his head so he could meet her eyes. _This guy_, for the last time, had dark rings under his eyes, and it seemed as though he should be sleeping right now and for the next month or so.

"No...I just wanted to know who you were. Now that I know, I'm perfectly fine with you carrying me to my room. It's right down this hall way," she said, sleepily. She was still very tired.

"I knew you'd say that. Now, it's this one I believe, ne?" L said as he stopped right at her door.

"Yeah, it is. Thanks, L." Yuri rubbed her eyes as she was set down gently on the floor.

"Well, I hope I'll see you in the morning, Yuri-chan. Get some sleep, and good night," L said as he closed the door quietly. Yuri blinked a few more times, trying to explain to herself that she was not dreaming and that she had to somehow manage her way up to the top bunk. She tripped on someone's slipper, Kathy's upon further inspection, and wearily clambered her way into her bed. She didn't bother changing her clothes. She was too tired to even think properly. She closed her eyes, and whispered a silent good night to Lily, as she drifted into sleep.

L had walked into Near's room and tucked him in. "Now, I expect the same out of you. Get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Near nodded as he rested his head on his pillow.

"I just have one question for you before you sleep, Near," L said, picking up a piece of loose string from Near's comforter.

"Yeah?" Near answered, sitting up. To him, whatever L said was extremely important. L was his idol.

"What were you doing sleeping on the couch with Yuri-chan?" L asked casually twirling the string in between his fingers.

"We were afraid of the storm and then just fell asleep. I don't know why we became so tired, but we just did and fell asleep," Near said, playing with one of the hairs on his head.

"Oh, okay," L said getting up. "That's not something you'd normally do now is it?"

"No, but I did for some peculiar reason," Near replied, laying back down.

"You wouldn't think it was because of Yuri-chan, now, right?" L continued.

"Well, without her there, Mello would have just teased me for being afraid," Near pointed out.

"Hmm, true. You make a good point, Near. That impresses me. Well, good night then, and sweet dreams." L walked out of the room, waving a good-bye as he closed the door.

Near felt happy that he impressed L tonight. He didn't know how he had, but he was too tired to think it over thoroughly. He looked over to the other side of the room where Mello was sleeping soundly on the top bunk, and Matt was snoring loudly on the bottom. Near remembered that no one was on the bunk above his, because their room only had three people, and Mello and Matt decided to keep on _their _side of the room, away from Near's side. Oddly enough, Near yearned for Yuri to be on the top bunk and keep him company throughout the night, on _his_ side. Near rolled over, grabbing a robot and holding it close. Wishing the robot was Yuri instead of a toy, Near fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

**Chapter three! Right there! I hope nobody minds the little Near/Yuri fluff I put in this one. Hopefully you'll find it cute, and will be looking forward to more fluff with other people ahead! Since it's 2 am and I'm very tired, I'll be stopping it here. Reviews are appreciated and well looked forward too! And excuse any spelling errors; again I try to sift through yet I find things, so please pay little to no attention to them, heh.**

**Lani  
**


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